


Bars Made of a Name

by Lt_Kickbutt



Series: Cages [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Drinking, M/M, Multi, No prior series knowledge needed, Pre-Canon, Suggestive Themes, Wet Dream?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-16 09:13:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7261978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lt_Kickbutt/pseuds/Lt_Kickbutt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winter had just finished the final week at Atlas Academy and her teammates want nothing to do with her anymore. Her only friend happens to be the Atlasian General and soon to be boss, James Ironwood. But he had other plans for tonight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bars Made of a Name

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first mini-fic in this AU series were I'm going to explain important characters through story. I know the actual story has been slow going but I've been working on it and just not posting. This is a good way for me to keep working on the universe without burning out.

Winter rapped her knuckles on the solid oak door of her headmaster’s office. General James Ironwood beckoned her inside with a smile to the door. As she poked her head through respectfully his smile faded quickly, “Winter, come in. Is something wrong?”

Tonight she had finished the final week of classes at Atlas Academy and was set to graduate top of her class. She pulled herself through the door and closed it behind her softly. She had her platinum white hair into a bun, dressed in her complete military uniform. “General Ironwood, sir. I just wanted to extend my thanks for all your help over the years. It really means a lot to me and I won’t let you down as a military specialist.”

The general’s shoulders eased as he went back to the work on his desk, “At ease. Thank you for being such a studious and rabid leaner, Winter. I am going to miss you as a student, but I know you will more than make up for it as my specialist.” He offered her a smile and her shoulders relaxed. “What of your team though? Shouldn’t you four be celebrating together? Maybe at a bar? Or a club?”

Winter wrung her hands as she looked down and away, her face flushed pink as she answered, “Tonight…they admitted…they...have a better time when I’m not around.” The general’s attention piqued backed to the young Schnee. She wore a massive frown as her lips quivered and her eyes watered over. His jaw dropped as Winter had a hard time composing herself.

“Th-th-th-They all agreed and took turns telling me how they really felt about me. There were…some nice things, but even after four years on the same team they agreed they never really bonded with me, and were more worried about being scrutinized.” Winter franticly worked to wipe tears and snot away as they came with the heel of her gloved palm. She stopped when the general’s chair skid across the carpeted floor and Ironwood pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket as he rounded his desk.

He beckoned her onto the couch in his office and sat down next to her as she still worked to hold back her tears, “Looking back at us now. I see what they mean. I always thought of them as childish, undisciplined. I couldn’t even tell them I’m sorry. All I could manage was to argue and they only took it as confirmation of their assertions.” Her chest heaved as she sobbed. Her eyes, mouth, and throat all grasped for air through tears and snot as she tried to cry as dignified as possible, but in front of her soon to be boss she couldn’t manage. 

The general nervously wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Afraid to show favoritism for subordinates in even the most private of settings, especially students, but as soon as her head folded into his chest James couldn’t have cared less. If someone were to put a gun to his head Winter would be his favorite subordinate, student, favorite _anything_. Winter shrank in his embrace; she pulled her legs up against her chest, wrapped her arms around them, put her head into her knees, and sobbed uncontrollably.

“What if they never want to see me again?!?” Wailing, her face had become red and puffy. This time the general’s caress against offered Winter only marginal comfort. She had forsaken her entire life in this endeavor to become the best. She convinced herself that with being the best came respect, and wept for the realization that for the last four years she had truly been alone. Winter thought of her father who begged her to reconsider her path, and her baby sister who, in order to push herself, convinced herself was against her from the beginning. She told herself the loneliness would end, but tonight sat perplexed and crying. She cried, wondering if being alone is worse than finding out she was always alone and told only when it became too late to matter anymore.

Her only and oldest friend had his arm wrapped around her. She felt his fingers readjust and press into her skin for the first time and looked up. Her crying stopped, she watched him smile as genuinely as he could manage and returned his handkerchief. “Did you enjoy the time we’ve spent together?”

“I did!” The general tried to be chipper, something uncommon, “As your teacher, and superior, and friend. I enjoy your company.”

Winter’s eye’s got large, shaded red and puffy from the tears. Her face red from crying concealed how she felt. She moved to fix the loose strands of hair back behind her ears. “I-”

The door crept half open and a long, thin leg strode through the door followed by a lanky old man in a vest and tattered cape. He was scanning the hallway as his body entered ahead of his head into the room swishing around a flask in his hand. “I don’t think anyone saw me Jimmy. We can-”

The room froze as Qrow turned spotted the pair on the sofa. Qrow peered down and investigated the pair. Winter’s hair and face barely holding together, the general’s arm around her shoulder. Qrow stared at the arm long enough to get noticed and Ironwood broke the freeze and tugged his appendage back to his side of the couch. “Who the hell is this?”

Ironwood pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes, “Qrow, this is one of my students. Winter, this is a friend and fellow huntsman of mine.”

Qrow stood around staring until Ironwood pressed him for a response with a look. Shrugging he flopped down on the couch pinning Winter between he and the general. Qrow gave Winter a closer up and down, “Whoa. You really are crying. Quite a bit by the looks of things.”

Winter rubbed her face down and groaned trying to regain herself. Holding out a hand she introduced herself, “Hello sir. My name is Winter Schnee. I’m sorry if I was intruding on your plans.” Qrow cocked an eyebrow at the name and Winter’s nostrils flared. Everyone had a tick for it, the inspection of her name. She carried it around with her like a shadow of a tower, causing everyone to look up expecting to see the grandest work of architecture.

Qrow looked over her to Ironwood, who remained silent, “No plans Winter. Just swung by to do a bit of drinking” Qrow undid the top of his flask and lifted, “So…what are we crying to?”

“None of your business!” Winter turned towards Ironwood causing her thigh to collide with his. She jolted and sat up rigidly.

“Real easy going, this one. Bet you’re just the life of the party.” Qrow took a swig out of his flask as Winter began to tremble, looking to cry again.

“That’s just it…I kill all the parties. So much so my team doesn’t want anything to do with me, only hours after we all graduated together.”

“Shitty teammates eh? Yeah I used to have one of those too. Spent a lot of time crying over her, and drinking.” Qrow shook his flask and Winter turned around. “This helps me.” Qrow wafted the end under Winter’s nose. She felt her nose hairs burn and her eyebrows nearly catapult off her head.

“Is that gasoline?!” Winter coughed out as Ironwood and Qrow both laughed.

“What do you say Winter?” General Ironwood got up from his seat, back to his desk, and pulled out three glasses from the bottom drawer. “We’re not your teammates, but you’re invited to come party with us.” The general set three glasses down on the table in front of them and Qrow began to pour. As the brown mystery liquid started to fill her glass Winter cringed more and more. It hit equal mark to Qrow’s glass but he kept pouring with a cheeky smile.

“That’s enough!” Winter franticly grabbed at his hand and moved it to the general’s glass. She let go as abruptly as she clutched it, “I mean, thank you.” The flask had splashed liquor onto both of their hands and the table.

When he finished his pouring Qrow sucked off the bit of liquor on the back of his thumb where it connects to his palm. “Don’t mention it.” Watching intently Winter spied her own gloved hand, splotches of liquor wafting off. She followed suit, sucking out drops of burning liquor which danced on her tongue.

The general lifted his glass, “A toast! Congratulations on graduating Winter!” The three clinked glasses and threw back their drinks. Winter writhed and shuddered in an attempt to ease the passing. Her face contorted as she blinked away the water in her eyes and forced a smiled.

“Tough stuff right?” Qrow went back to filling the glasses and Winter’s stomach did a cartwheel.

“You wouldn’t to happen to have some soda, right?” The pair burst into laughter remembering their earliest drinking days.

“No, no soda here Winter.” The glasses refilled and to Winter’s relief no one made a reach for theirs yet. Qrow settled into the couch and the general mimicked him on the other side. Winter stared at her glass wondering how much she could manage, James stretched his arm over the top of the couch and Qrow leaned into the hand before speaking.

“So Winter, what’s your plan after school?”

Winter lit up and turned, “I’m going to lead the specialist forces in the Atlasian army.” Behind her Ironwood grinned and nodded.

“Right out of school? Man if I job like that right out of school my life would just be aces.” Slurring his words Qrow took a heathy drink from his glass as Winter sipped daintily at her second shot thinking it may help. “You party animal. Take a drink. Here’s to the one human in an army of robots.”

Winter’s lips quivered as the glass parted them and the whiskey grappled her tongue. James gripped Qrow’s shoulder and squeezed until the scythe wielder smiled. “Don’t go picking on my specialist.”

“I’m sure she can handle herself here.” Qrow filled the trio’s glasses. “What are the academy kids drinking now?”

“Not this shit.” Winter bottomed her glass and slammed it confidently on the table with minimal shudder. She leaned back into the couch and floated towards the general. Qrow emptied out his flask into her glass.

The general flinched as Winter leaned her shoulder into his chest, “I have some more.” Reaching into his jacket James pulled out his own flask and tipped into Qrow’s outstretched glass. The heated flush of blood colored Winter’s face, neck, and chest. Her skin had become unbearably hot and without a second though slid off her gloves and undid the button at her neck. The general’s chest rose and fell against her back as he sighed out and Winter had realized what she had done.

She grabbed up her glass and sipped nervously waiting for someone to say something. Winter’s stories of good grades or showing off her semblance felt far too juvenile for the situation. She had gotten away just mimicking the two and worried they would elect to kick her out after they had enough of the green graduate.

After a good four minutes of silence Winter spoke, “What do you guys normally do together?”

“We’re doing it!” Qrow took a swig as the general laughed at him. “Usually I’d be coming off a big mission, or leaving on one. But this time Jimmy invited me to drink.”

 Winter turned with a teasing grin, “You let him call you Jimmy?”

Not amused General Ironwood raised an eyebrow, “Finish that drink Schnee. That’s an order.”

Winter’s skin crawled as she began to really smell what she had been drinking. She shut her eyes and even had to pinch her nose to stomach down the shot as Qrow and James chuckled at her.

Winter’s eyes narrowed as Qrow smiled at her. The three were nearly cheek to cheek in an unintentional cuddle on the small office couch. Qrow inched in closer feeling comfortable enough to shift his weight into Winter’s space. The burning waft of liquor floated off of his breath. His cheap swill, hardly palatable to any normal drinker, made her breathe out a smile as her mind floated off.

Opening the door to her father’s study Winter stuck her head inside. Mr. Schnee faced the window the tall back of his desk chair towards the door. Her face flushed red and arms weighed heavy as she cut through the silence, “Dad I actually beat Coach today in a match! Three rounds to one. He’s ranked among the top five fencers in Remnant and I won!”

Mr. Schnee’s chair swiveled to face her and the large smile on his face made her eyes go wide. She couldn’t help but return the smile as it affected his voice, “Come in Winter! Come in and tell me about it.” He stood up with a tumbler of bourbon in his hand and walked to the adjacent couch, waving Winter over.

Winter slid into the room in loose fitting workout clothes, with the Schnee family mark on the back of the top. Her face and shoulders were red as they steamed off sweat from her victory. Her hair, loosely bound in a bun, matted across her face and down her neck. Winter took a moment to fix it but swiftly got interrupted, “Don’t bother! You look fine. In fact, you look like a warrior.”

Winter’s heart skipped a beat as her father continued to smile and beckon her to the seat next to him. She strode confidently and sat, immaculately trained, next to him. He eyed her up and down, “My little warrior. Not so little anymore!” His boisterous laugh gave away the smell of alcohol on his breath, worse than she had ever remembered. Winter’s heart sank as her father had never been openly drunk in front of her, choosing to drink alone or with colleagues in his study. But his smile seemed so natural, so genuine, that she continued to press with good news.

“He says I should have no trouble getting into Atlas Academy in three years if I keep practicing. In fact he expects me to be top of my class!”

Mr. Schnee continued to hum out a smile. Expecting his usual nullifying response Winter let her sentence sit without continuing. After a moment the Schnee patriarch opened is his mouth, “Then you’re going to be a solder?” He needed no affirmative, in fact it’s been months since Winter had shown even the slightest bit of guilt about her career choice. She stared fiercely expecting the conversation to go one way, “Can you keep a secret Winter?”

Mr. Schnee hands, which were clasped together on his lap, began to fidget. Winter’s expression softened as she nodded. “I was in the military once. For just over a week. Right out of school, like you.” He looked at his hands and back to her with an exhale through the nose and renewed smile, “The moment I turned of age I snuck off to enlist without telling my parents. They had this whole, big plan for me and my future and I had become sick of being explained away as a Schnee” Mr. Schnee took a drink and halted his story, “You’ve ever felt like that before Winter?”

 Winter blinked twice trying to make sense of the situation, “I…don’t want you to think that’s the reaso-”

 Mr. Schnee held his hand up and continued the story, “The Atlas Army at the time was a serious commitment. Sure the war had ended some time prior, but Atlas always remained alert after we lost so much more than the other kingdoms. To enlist meant you were committed for that tour. I was happier than I had been for a long time. The boot camp was the hardest, most painful thing I had ever done in my life, but I never slept better. My fellow solders didn’t care about my name or my money, and I thought for the first time in my life I was outside the influence of my father’s money.”

Enthralled with his story Winter tucked her legs under her body and leaned into her father. Her head hit his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. He smelled and looked completely foreign to her this way, but his words united the two like never before. “I was wrong though. In ten days’ time my father had contacted the commander in chief, paid whatever ungodly amount of money they asked for, and had me pardoned for military service. All I really remember is a night me and four other bunk mates spent up drinking this shitty blackberry brandy talking about girls back home.”

Mr. Schnee took a drink, “Kind of like this” he held his glass up to Winter, “And then the bottle gets passed” Looking back to the glass and her father with a concerned look he amended his offer, “If you’d like some.”  Winter took the bourbon and sipped just a bit from the lip. It burned a quiet roar down her throat but she had handled the expensive liquor well.

“Anyway Winter. I think about my time as a solder, and my dreams, and my father a lot now. He never talked about anything with me either, and now I wish I would have asked more. But I think my father always lived in fear of his father, and his father before him, that if they could see him they would have taken everything back from him. That he was afraid he failed, and afraid I would fail because of it.”

Mr. Schnee’s face went stone cold stoic as he placed his hands on Winter’s face and locked eyes, “But my story is the not the same as his, and neither is yours.” He blinked away tears as he told his daughter the one thing he wished his father told him.

“You are great, Winter Schnee. Not because of your name. People will judge you for the rest of your life on your name alone, but that will be their downfall, because I have watched you succeed at everything you’ve ever attempted. You will conquer challenges and crisis I, or my father, or his father couldn’t even imagine.”

He smiled and embraced Winter, “You are going to save the world.”

A haggard giggle stirred Winter from her dream, “Shhhh. Don’t wake her up.”

“Forget her for twelve minutes. Focus on me.” Now sprawled alone on the couch the room spun around Winter as she forced her eyes shut. She drifted back to sleep before awakened by the sound of a zipper and jeans ruffling.

“Jimmy…” A guttural moan came from somewhere in the room. Winter couldn’t even manage her eyes open.  

_Jimmy_. Unable to determine the dream from reality Winter lifted her butt in the air thinking it would be easier for him. On the other side of the room the general’s desk began to rock. Muffled moans replaced heavy breathing as hips smacked together.

Winter’s hips rocked in sync with the desk’s shuddering. She reached back searching for skin or metal but could only hear the results which she assumed were her own. When the desk creaked back to a standstill Winter had passed out all over again clutching the arm of the sofa with a smile on her face.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment, question, praise, whatever! I really take all comments to heart. Feel free to suggest other characters you'd like to see my pre-canon interpretation on. Feel free to ask any questions about the AU as well. Really its the same except for an OC team and it will diverge at the end of vol 3.


End file.
